Liquid gage and indicator



I. W. MILLER.

LIQUID GAGE AND INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY27,1919.

1,381,212, mentedgmne 14,1921,

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J. W. MILLER.

LIQUID GAGEAND INDICATOR.

' APPLICATION FILI-:D MAY 27, 1919.

1,381,212. PaIenIedJun 14,1521.

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UNITED STATES IPivrErrr OFFICE.

JOHN W. MILLER, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

LIQUID GAGE AN D INDICATOR.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MI'LLER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Seattle, in the county of King and vtate of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid Gages and Indicators, of which the following is -a specification.

. Iy invention relates to liquid gages by means of which the position of a float which rises and falls in conformity with the height of liquid surface, and hencegthe depth of the liquid may be indicated electrically at any desired distance from the vessel containing the liquid.

My invention may be used in anyl container of liquid, but is more particularly adapted to airplanes or motor boats or any vehicle which uses liquid fuel either directly or indirectly as a propelling medium. It is a common practice where liquid fuel is used, to employ a gage consisting of a float inside of the tank, which actuates a 'quantity indicating device designed to be read from the outside of the tank.

I am aware that attempts have been made to produce a liquid gage which would indicate by'. electrical means the position of such a float, but thesevdevices were dangerous when used in a containerA of volatile liquids, the vapors of which become explosive when mixed with air. The danger is due to making or breaking an electrical circuit inside the tank, thus producing a spark in the presence of an explosive mixture; and this danger I have overcome by means of the present invention in which the contact points are hermetically inclosed so that no vapor can reach them. y Also I employ an indicator by which it is possible to determine at any convenient distance from the tank Jche amount of liquid therein.

' In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the circuit closer and the float-actuated means for moving it, showing the tank and the housing in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the center of the `circuit closing disk; l

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the parts or halves of this disk, being in effect a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the letter T designates broadly a tankl for liquid fuelr whose top 1 may be removable and is shown herewith 1919. Serial No. 300,032. l

as carrying upright guides 2 on which a float -within the tank rises and falls. An ap-l propriate upright opening 3 through the ioat receives a worm 4, made preferabl in the form of a twisted ribbon of metal, w ich worm connects at its upper end with a shaft 5 journaled throughand rising jabove the cover l and connectedin any appropriate manner, as by the gears shown, with a shaft 7 which supports the rotary circuit closer hereinafter described, these shafts and their connection as well as the entire circuit closer being by preference inclosed with a housing 6 here shown as mounted directly on the tank cover 1. It will be observed that by the construction so far described everything vis removed from the interior of 'the fuel tank excepting the'guides, the float, and the worm; and itis the rotation of the shaft v5 by said worm which is made use of ex- Speciicationof Letters Patent. Patented. June 14, 1921.

' Application led May 27,

teriorly of the tank to indicate the liquid level inside. As these tanks are not always located at a point where the indicator may be conveniently seen, I prefer to provide a rotary circuit closer turned on its axis by the movements of the float, and connect the contacts of said circuit closer by wires with an indicator at a remote point, doubtless on the dash of the motor vehicle.

The circuit closer 8 best seen in Figs.` 2 and 3 is a disk preferably made up of two parts, and these may be of metal or other suitable material properly connected, one

art being fixed on one end of the shaft 7.

he meeting faces of the two parts are provided with registering tannular grooves which, when they are assembled, produce a.'

channel 16 in w ch I place a small Vquantity of mercury indicated at 17. At several points within this channel are baiies 15 projecting from its outer side radially inward and perhaps half way across it,.their purpose being to prevent the charge of mercury from being washed out of place by the vibrations of the motor vehicle. Insulated through one of the parts are terminals 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 as seen in Fig. 3, their inner ends entering the channel 16. Through the other part are alined terminals 14, insulated'or not as preferred, and these are connected by a wire 16 with one side of a battery. The other terminals 9 to 13 are connected by separate wires to an indicator and thence to the other side of said battery. Therefore when the lmovements ofthe ioat the actual closing points in the circuit closer are hermetically sealed within the channel in -the disk, so that ifthere should be any sparking there is no possibility that vapors rising`from the gasolene may be ignited.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: y

l. A circuit closer comprising a disk inclusive of two coactingsections having their opposed sides flatly in' contact and provided with annular grooves forming an internal channel, pairs of contactsextending from' said coacting sections into said channel from opposite sides of the saine, a quantity of mercury arranged in said. channel, and means to operate said disk.

l 2.v The herein described circuit' closer comprising a disk standing-A in an upright plane and having an internal annular channel, baffles located at intervals in the channel and projecting radially inward partway across it, a serles of contact points disposed in pairs midway between said baiiies with their tips projecting into said channel, a charge of mercury within said channel, and means for turning the disk on its axis.

3. A circuit closer comprising a disk inclusive of two coacting sections having their opposed sides flatly in contact and provided with annular grooves forming an annular channel, pairs of contacts extending from said coacting' sections into said channel from opposite sides of the same, a quantity of mercury arranged in said channel, a plurality of radially' disposed. spaced baiiie plates extending inwardly from the outer side of said annular channel and terminating inwardlyof the inner side of the saine, and means to operate said disk.A In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

JOHN W. MILLER. [L 8.] 

